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Do you go for check-ups? I remember the time – I had only been living in Ireland a few years – that I called the GP to make an appointment for my daughter. “What’s the problem?” The receptionist asked over the phone after confirming her date of birth and name. “Nothing,” I responded. “I just thought she should have a check-up; it’s been a while since she last saw the public health nurse.” “You just want a check-up?” the receptionist asked incredulously. “We don’t do that. There needs to be something wrong.”
And with that, any notion I had about pre-emptive healthcare vanished. In fairness to all involved, at that time I was very naïve. I didn’t understand the system (or how under pressure most GP practices in rural Ireland are) and I had unknowingly been living with medical privilege my whole life (universal healthcare is very much taken for granted by most Canadians). Now, my husband and I pay privately for an annual physical. I am happy to pay for these because if nothing problematic is found, it provides peace of mind. If something is found, hopefully it is found quickly and can be dealt with efficiently. It doesn’t take too long and we make a day out of it (you have to make hay while the sun shines!).
In this week’s health feature, Margaret Hawkins mentions that 90% of all skin cancers are fixable if found early enough, and also mentions that farmers can be particularly susceptible to summer skin problems because of the nature of their work. Getting comfortable with making GP or physical examination appointments is important, but it’s equally valuable to know you can develop a relationship with your local chemist to help with minor healthcare checks (I am going to use ours as my first port of call for any suspicious moles in future).
In keeping with the health theme, this week is International Men’s Health Week. The Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (who last published a report on men’s health in Ireland in 2020) says the leading causes of death in men aged 35 and up are cancers and heart disease.
We are consistently told that being obese or overweight, having a poor diet, high-volume alcohol consumption and leading a stressful lifestyle can all contribute to health problems as we approach middle and older ages. Male farmers are particularly susceptible to these risk factors – a 2020 study, Farmers have Hearts found that 74% of male Irish farmers have four or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Of those who participated in the study (which was put on jointly by Teagasc, the National Centre for Men’s Health, the National Heart Foundation, Glanbia, the HSE and UCD), a whopping 75% were advised to visit their GP for further support.
While we need to mind ourselves and remain vigilant, we should also reflect on the good news: those diagnosed with cancer are living longer and are being cured at higher rates than ever before, fewer men smoke today than they did in 2007 and most men say they regularly use sunscreen when planning to be outdoors for extended periods of time. The Men’s Health Forum report says this is thanks to (among other things) “greater health literacy” and “an increase in help-seeking behaviours”.
Sometimes, we get so preoccupied with our work and responsibilities that we forget to prioritise ourselves. As a working mother, I am guilty of this myself. That is another reason why those annual physical exams are so important. I am forced out of my ‘busy zone’ and – even if just for that one hour – I am made to focus on myself. That alone has some healing power.
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